Guiseley boss Paul Cox is keeping his ‘eye on ball’

PAUL COX has warned his Guiseley players to forget about ‘the bright lights’ of the FA Cup ahead of their return to National League business at home to Bromley tomorrow.

The Lions earned plenty of kudos following their impressive cup performance against League Two promotion-chasers Accrington at Nethermoor on Sunday, when they became just the second side to prevent Stanley from scoring this term in a 0-0 draw and were unfortunate not to win.

Paul Cox.

It was a game in which the likes of Mike Fondop and Kayode Odejayi took plenty of plaudits and a fair few others too, with the replay taking place in Lancashire on Tuesday with Guiseley aiming to create history by making the second round of the competition for the first time – with the prize at stake being a trip to Cox’s former club Mansfield Town.

But the Guiseley boss is banishing all thoughts of cup matters, with the bread-and-butter of the league back on the agenda as the Lions seek to continue their progress under Cox, who has presided over a six-match unbeaten streak to take the club out of the drop zone. Cox said: “We have had some plaudits and pats on the back and there are a lot of people smiling at the football club now.

“But we need to forget about the bright lights of the FA Cup now and really go back to earning the right to win a football match in a league where everyone has the ability to beat each other.

“But we cannot get carried away with it all because the game can change overnight. We must forget about all the smiles and get back to working hard again because that is what is moving us into a better position than what we were.

Guisele's Kayode Odejayi.

“For myself and the players, it is feet-back-down-on-the-ground time. It is not just in terms of this game, but it is a ‘big next week’ with games on Saturday, Tuesday and Saturday and there is a lot of football for us. It could really put us into a different zone of confidence in our minds.”

He added: “We have made a few strides. But consistency is now key moving forward. We are starting to develop a little bit of confidence and now we need to move forward again.

“I think we are at the tip of the iceberg in terms of what we want to achieve.

“I am under no illusions in terms of how big a task we have got. The positive is that we are improving. But call me ‘bah humbug’ but we have a fair way to go to get to where we want to.”

The Lions still have a lengthy injury list, although some players have returned to light training, with Danny Lowe, Raul Correira and Callum McFadzean boosting their match-fitness levels in Tuesday’s emphatic 5-0 West Riding County Cup win at Garforth Town – a game which saw Reece Thompson fire four goals.

Cox said: “Slowly but slowly, we are getting one or two bodies back, which is excellent news for the club.”

FC Halifax, without a win in seven matches since September 23, host Woking tomorrow.

FA Cup replay: Lions boss Cox deflects pressure on to League Two high fliers Accrington Stanley